Standing Strong
by Midnightwolf42
Summary: Sakura Haruno has been perceived as weak for the majority of her life. She has stood by, letting the others pass her by, but now she's done. It's time for the pink-haired kunoichi to take a stand. And the Akatsuki just might be the ones to help her show her true strength. It also wouldn't hurt to have a little trick up her sleeve, now would it? Rated M for adult themes.
1. Prologue

**Hello, everyone! This is my first time writing a fanfiction, so be kind with your criticism. I will try my absolute best to write a good story, but if it isn't, just say so and move on. I don't need overly vicious comments about how much I suck at writing, thank you very much.**

**Anyway, this story will probably be a SakuraxAkatsuki fanfic. I haven't chosen who Sakura will end up with yet. I may have her with one guy, or I might have Sakura be the recipient of her very own harem.**

**Also, there will be a few differences in my story. First, Sasori will be revived as a human. Second, Asuma will not be killed by Hidan. Third, Madara will be a separate member of the Akatsuki from Tobi. Madara will not be an evil creeper in this story either. Tobi will not be Obito, so he will have a different backstory. Fourth, Deidara will not have a mouth on his chest, just like Kakuzu will not have the masks on his back. This is just to make my job of writing just a bit easier. Sorry to anyone that wants that. Finally, Nagato will not be in the story; Pein will be entirely his own person.**

**I hope that y'all enjoy the story. Don't be afraid to let me know what y'all think, please review.**

**Bye,**

**~SG~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Naruto, or any of its characters. That privilege belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

"Okay, that should do it!" Sakura said cheerfully, as she finished wrapping the bandage around the young girl's knee.

The girl smiled, "Thank you, Sakura-nee-san!"

"You're welcome, Yuki," Sakura replied with a chuckle. She turned to Yuki's smiling parents. "Wait here, I have some ointment that I want you to put on the wound to prevent infections."

Sakura walked to the cabinets lining the left wall of the small hospital room. She rummaged around in the cabinets, until she pulled out a small, round container with a pale blue lid. Sakura started walking back to the family, but she stopped. Turning back around, she pulled out a jar of suckers. She went back to Yuki and her parents.

She handed the container of ointment to the parents as she gave them the proper instructions, "Spread this on the wound twice a day; once in the morning, and once at night."

She then held the jar of suckers out to Yuki, "Pick whichever one you want. A reward for being such a good patient."

Yuki happily picked out a strawberry sucker, and gave her thanks as she trailed out of the room after her parents.

Sakura sat down at her desk with a sigh, as she started to fill out the necessary patient files. She hated doing paperwork, much like the hot-tempered Hokage that had become a second mother to the young pink-haired woman. Sakura's biological mother still lives with the other members of their clan in a secret compound, just outside of Amegakure.

Sakura moved to Konoha when she was five years old. The clan's elders thought it would be best to have the young girl undergo her ninja training in the Hidden Leaf Village. Her mother entrusted her upbringing to a couple from a branch family of the Haruno clan, who moved to Konoha shortly after adopting the five-year-old pinkette.

The couple that adopted her, Kizashi and Mebuki, had been killed in Orochimaru's attack during the third stage of the Chunin exams. She missed them, along with her actual mother, but she had Tsunade, Shizune, Kakashi, Yamato, the other senseis, and the rest of Konoha 12, including Sai. They were her family now.

Sakura remained at the hospital for a few more hours, performing routine check-ups and filling out paperwork. She visited all of the patients staying overnight before she left at 5:30 p.m.

She had just exited the hospital building, when an ANBU ninja stopped her.

"Haruno-san, Lady Hokage would like to speak to you," the ANBU stated.

Sakura nodded, "I understand, thank you."

The ANBU disappeared, as Sakura made her way to the Hokage Tower. She thought about what Tsunade could possibly want to talk to her about.

**_'Maybe sh_**_**e has a mission for you. You have been pestering her for one for a while now,' Ryoko said. **_Ryoko is Sakura's inner demon. She has been with Sakura since birth. The connection was created through a special clan ritual.

As Sakura considered this possibility, she felt a new burst of excitement at finally getting to do something other than hospital work. She leapt onto a nearby roof, running across several others, hoping to reach her shishou's office sooner.

Five minutes later, Sakura stood in front of the Hokage's door. She briskly knocked four times, signaling that it was her.

"Come in, Sakura," came Tsunade's reply.

She wasted no time walking into the room. Tsunade was sitting behind her desk, as Shizune poured her a cup of tea, unusually Tonton was nowhere in sight. Sakura stopped in front of Tsunade's desk. "You wanted to speak to me, shishou-sama?"

"Yes," Tsunade replied. "Shizune, you can leave now."

"Hai, Lady Tsunade." Shizune placed the tea kettle on the desk, and started to walk out. Before she exited the office, she sent a sorrowful look toward the young pinkette.

Tsunade rested her chin on her interlocked fingers as she regarded her apprentice. Sakura was no longer just an apprentice, though. The 16-year-old girl was practically her daughter. She sighed, contemplating the pinkette's reaction to the news that was about to be presented to her. Tsunade knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but she had to know. It would be best if she told her personally; otherwise, her reaction would be even more explosive.

"Sakura," the Hokage began, "they left."

Sakura froze; she had an idea of who her shishou was talking about, but she prayed that she was wrong. She plastered on a confused smile, "Who left?"

Tsunade saw the brief flash of disappointment in the teen's jade eyes. She knew the younger girl was aware of whom she was talking about, but she hoped otherwise. "The other members of Konoha 12. They left to bring Sasuke back."

"I see," Sakura looked down, fists clenching at her sides. _I guess they thought I was too weak to go with them. I thought I had proven that I was stronger, but apparently, I was the only one that thought so._ She looked straight into Tsunade's worried gaze. "Thank you for telling me. If that is all, may I leave now?"

"Yes," Tsunade knew that Sakura was hurting, but there was nothing that she could do to alleviate her pain. Sakura needed to be alone, and that was the only thing Tsunade could help her with. "You've been working a lot recently. Why don't you take tomorrow off?"

"Of course," Sakura said with a fake smile, the first of many.

Sakura bowed, then turned and exited the room. She teleported back to her apartment, leaving a small cluster of black cherry blossom petals in her place. Sakura decided to skip dinner, so she changed into her sleeping outfit of a black and red satin tank top with matching shorts. _I guess I'm too weak to fight alongside them._

_**'You're not weak, Sakura,' Ryoko countered. 'They just aren't able to look past a carefully created disguise.'**_

As Sakura drifted off to sleep, one final thought drifted through her head. _I wonder what will happen when the illusion fades._


	2. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! Thank you very much to anyone that has read this story! I would really appreciate it if you would review so that I know this story isn't completely hopeless.**

**So, this is the first official chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Now, on to the actual story! *Raises arm, as if leading a battle charge.***

**Bye,**

**~SG~**

**P.S. I should warn you that there will be curse words. I have no patience, so I won't be censoring the colorful words that are used by certain people in certain situations.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Naruto, or any of its characters. That privilege belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

Tsunade stared at the group of shinobi clustered in front of her desk. Her golden eyes scanned the impatient faces of her audience, as she gathered her thoughts to better prepare for their spontaneous reaction. As she opened her mouth to speak, the silence was shattered by a certain red-haired young woman.

"Why the hell did you call us here?" Karin asked obnoxiously.

The Hokage's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. The bold girl had been a pain in the ass since she first entered the village alongside the younger Uchiha, eight months ago. Karin was very possessive of her cold companion, and therefore, felt the need to scare off her competitors. This was done by spreading rumors or physically threatening the opponent. She was surprisingly effective; although, it never stopped the other ninjas from disliking her. Even Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Juugo, the other members of Team Taka, seemed to abhor her presence.

Despite her character flaws, Karin was fairly strong, which is why the majority of Konoha 12, despite the objections of their former instructors, decided to have her replace their weakest member: Sakura Haruno. Tsunade scowled at the reminder that her former apprentice, and daughter-figure, was considered weak by her so-called friends. _I wish I could show them just how strong Sakura really is. Unfortunately, that would go against the wishes of her mother and their clan._

The honey-eyed, blonde woman sighed in resignation. She focused her attention back on the curious group standing a few feet away from her. Tsunade took a breath, preparing to speak, when she was interrupted yet again. This time by a blonde-haired boy clad in orange and black.

"Baa-chan, are you going to explain why you called us here?" questioned Naruto.

The Hokage growled, frightening several of the shinobi present. "I would if you would stop interrupting me before I can get a word out!"

Naruto scrambled to cower behind Sasuke, his blue eyes wide with fright. The other ninjas shook their heads at the knuckle-head's reaction. Tsunade huffed out a frustrated breath, while leaning back in her chair.

"As I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted," she said with a glare toward Naruto and Karin, "the Akatsuki has stopped targeting the Jinchuuriki."

"But what does that have to do with us?" Naruto whined.

Amber orbs glared the blond into submission. "It has to do with you because they have asked for an alliance, and I have agreed." _For Sakura's sake._

"WHAT?!" all of the shinobi present yelled.

**WARNING: Foul language up ahead!**

While the Hokage dealt with the astounded group of ninjas in her office, the Akatsuki quickly made their way toward Konoha. Their black cloaks flapping in the wind due to the speed of their running.

"Tobi can't wait to meet the Konoha ninjas!" the easily excitable man-child shouted.

Deidara smacked the back of Tobi's head. "Shut up, un! Your yelling will attract unnecessary attention."

"So will yours," Sasori commented dryly, as tears flowed from the hole in Tobi's orange mask.

The puppeteer's statement brought forth an explosive response from the blonde. Pein sighed resignedly at the seemingly unending arguments between the opposing artists, eliciting a chuckle from Madara. The group continued traveling, ignoring the affronts flying in the background. For the most part.

"I dare you to repeat that, you fucking transvestite!"

The more sane members of the Akatsuki sweatdropped as the foul-mouthed immortal entered the fray. Hidan's insult struck a sensitive nerve for Deidara, successfully infuriating the bombing specialist further. The argument brought the two S-Rank criminals to a stop, screaming obscene insults in each other's faces. The hot-headed Akatsuki members' dispute halted shortly after.

"Shut the fuck up, now!" Pein yelled, startling everyone present. "Your idiotic disagreement has gone on long enough. You will both remain quiet for the rest of this trip, or you will suffer immensely."

Deidara and Hidan shivered, fear of their leader's wrath slithering down their spines. At their nods, the other tense members heaved sighs of relief, their stances relaxing slightly.

Madara walked up to the still frustrated Pein, clapping a hand on his shoulder, "Now that another pointless argument has ended, we can continue on our way to Konoha."

The criminal organization resumed their journey, unaware of a masked figure's dull, muddy orbs tracking their movements. An elegant white ANBU mask carved into the shape of a wolf covered the face of a seemingly ordinary kunoichi with mousy brown hair cut into a short pixie bob. If the Sharingan wielders had spotted the mysterious figure, they would have noticed that the porcelain visage cast a genjustsu over the kunoichi's appearance, concealing vibrant viridian eyes and silvery, petal pink waist-length hair.

**_'The Akatsuki in Konoha,' Ryoko stated thoughtfully. 'This should be entertaining.'_**

Sakura agreed; however, it did make her wonder what the Hokage was thinking. **_Ryoko smirked, 'It most likely has something to do with you.'_**

_Just great_, Sakura thought with a groan. _A group of S-Rank criminals is definitely something that I want to deal with now._

**_'Lucky you,' the she-demon replied. She then laughed as a certain thought struck her, 'I bet some of them would be willing to help when those symptoms appear.'_**

_Have I told you recently how much I hate you? Because I do, I truly do._

**_'Too bad,' she countered happily, 'you're stuck with me.'_**

_Unfortunately_, Sakura replied dryly.

**_Ryoko rolled her violet eyes, 'Just follow them already. I don't want to miss our fellow ninjas' reactions when they come face-to-face with the Akatsuki.'_**

With a sigh, the 19-year-old kunoichi obeyed her inner's request. To be honest, she was rather looking forward to their reactions as well.


	3. Chapter 2

**Hello, everyone! The second chapter is here! I hope that you guys are enjoying my story so far. Let's hope that y'all will continue to enjoy it later on.**

**I don't have much to say this time. So, I guess I'll just let y'all go onto the story now. Please review!**

**Bye!**

**~SG~**

**P.S. There will by cursing in the story because I'm too lazy to censor it. I will give y'all a heads-up though, so it shouldn't strike completely out-of-the-blue.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Naruto, or any of its characters.**** That privilege belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.**

The Fifth Kazekage observed quietly as chaos overran Tsunade's office. Sea foam green eyes flitted between the increasingly irritated Hokage and the seemingly frantic shinobi in front of her desk. The Konoha ninjas, with the addition of Temari and Kankuro, took the Akatsuki alliance better than either village leader predicted; however, the group is still widely in opposition. Gaara was dragged from his thoughts by the Kyuubi container.

"What about you, Gaara?" Naruto intoned. "The Akatsuki almost succeeded in killing you, and yet, you're willing to form an alliance anyway?"

The former Ichibi jinchuuriki leaned forward, red bangs covering his eyes and tattoo, "I'm well-aware of the dangers of allying with this particular group. However," Gaara paused, collecting his thoughts, "I believe that this step could prove beneficial to both the Sand and Leaf villages."

Karin snorted, "Yeah, because having a highly dangerous group of S-Rank criminals in the village is a good thing."

"Although, Karin's sarcasm was unnecessary," Ino replied, "I have to agree that this seems like a bad idea."

Tsunade and Gaara shared a quick glance. The busty blonde cleared her throat, gathering the attention of everyone present. "It wasn't an easy decision for us to make, but we have thought it out carefully."

The Kazekage picked up from there, "The Akatsuki will only reside in the Leaf Village while the treaty is being signed. Once that is finished, they will return to their own home."

"Okay, say that they actually do honor the treaty," Shikamaru began. "What are the conditions for the alliance?"

_And this is where the real trouble starts_, Tsunade thought. Looking straight at the original members of Team 7, the Hokage began the explanation. "The Akatsuki will be doing missions that we, Gaara and I, deem too dangerous for our own shinobi, as well as giving us any necessary assistance that we may need. In return, we will supply them with another source of income and a highly trained medic."

Surprisingly, Hinata was the one to voice the question on everyone's mind. "Who i-is the m-m-medic-nin that will be joining th-them?"

With a final shared glance between green and gold, Gaara replied, "The medic ninja that will go with the Akatsuki is Haruno Sakura."

The room full of highly trained and seasoned shinobi was shocked speechless. The thought on most people's minds was that the two leaders were playing a cruel practical joke. None of them could believe that the pinkette would be tossed into a den of wolves, such as the Akatsuki. The majority of Konoha 12 may have viewed Sakura as weak, but she was still an important friend to them, even though they hadn't seen her since they left to search for Sasuke and Team Taka.

Naruto stunned everyone when he began laughing. It started as a soft chuckle, then transformed into a boisterous bellow. "Ah ha ha, that was a good one, Baa-chan. Sakura becoming a member of the Akatsuki, ha ha. Seriously though, who is it?"

At Tsunade's silence, the crowd in her office realized that she wasn't joking. Ino stepped forward, intent on getting the Hokage to change her mind. She could handle anyone else going, even herself. Anyone but her best friend, Sakura. It would be too dangerous for her.

"You can't allow this, Lady Hokage," the icy-eyed blonde stated.

"Oh, really?" the Hokage questioned with a quirk of her eyebrow, her eyes seeming to mock the younger blonde.

Ino raised her head defiantly. "Tell the Akatsuki to pick someone else, anyone else, but Sakura."

Naruto nodded emphatically, "Ino's right. Just tell them to choose another medic. If they want the alliance bad enough, it shouldn't make a difference to them."

"I can't do that," Tsunade stated firmly.

"Why not?" Sai, a creepy smile plastered on his face, questioned.

"Because they didn't choose her," she revealed, "I did."

"You can't be serious," Naruto shouted, stepping closer to the desk. "Why would you do that?"

The blonde jinchuuriki's movement was halted by Kakashi's hand on his shoulder. "I don't mean to be rude, but there is something that should be mentioned, in case you were unaware when you made your decision."

His eyes focused on amber orbs, seriousness swimming in the black depths. "Several months ago, Konan, the sole female member of the Akatsuki, left to be with a civilian merchant. If Sakura were to go with the Akatsuki, she would be the only girl in an organization filled with highly dangerous male criminals."

This information brought forth an even bigger wave of protests. Konoha 12, their former senseis, Temari, and Kankuro were horrified by the thought that the girl they all knew, and some loved, was about to be forced into an all-male criminal organization.

The shouts were quickly eradicated when Tsunade slammed her hand onto her desk as she stood, a crack forming in the middle of the wooden furniture. Molten amber orbs glared at the other occupants of the room. "I do know about Konan's departure."

Ino opened up her mouth to protest, but quickly changed her mind when the golden glare flashed to her.

"Now let me make one thing perfectly clear," the Hokage growled out. "I am in charge. What I say, goes. So, if I decide that Sakura should go with the Akatsuki, then she goes with the Akatsuki."

After a beat of silence, Neji asked the question lingering on everyone's mind, "Why?"

Tsunade straightened up, "That is none of your concern."

**Warning: Foul language up ahead.**

Even though there was more that the group wanted to know, the Hokage and Kazekage thought it would be best for the younger shinobi to get ready for the Akatsuki's arrival, while the two leaders conversed with Temari, Kankuro, and the former instructors.

The young shinobi were silent as they descended from the Hokage Tower. The grating voice of a particular red-haired young woman broke the conversational lull. "What's so bad about this Sakura chick going with the Akatsuki?"

Everyone stopped in their tracks, stunned by her bluntness. Karin took in the wide eyes of everyone, except for Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Juugo. "What?"

"Well, she's our friend, and she is about to be forced into very hostile territory," Ino responded.

"Wait a minute," Suigetsu piped in, "isn't Sakura that weak fan girl that Karin replaced?"

Oblivious to the glares of Sakura's friends, Karin laughed. "I remember now. We haven't met her yet, but she didn't seem to be very well liked."

"Just like you," Suigetsu retorted.

Taka's sole female member glowered at the violet-eyed swordsman. "Oh, shut up! It's not like you have any room to talk!"

The two hot-headed members of Team Taka continued to argue, while Ino thought about their callus remarks. Sakura was her best friend. They didn't always get along, but they stuck together. Yes, the pinkette was weak compared to the rest of their generation, but she was the best medic in Konoha. Konoha 12 assumed that her busy work schedule was the reason that they hadn't seen hide nor hair of the Hokage's apprentice in eight months, not to mention the three years that were spent searching for the missing Uchiha. But Karin and Suigetsu's complete disregard for Sakura's worth pushed the pale-haired blonde over the edge.

"Alright, I don't know where you got the idea that Sakura was disliked," Ino snapped, "but you're dead wrong. And I will not tolerate you two badmouthing her."

Karin backed up a pace, her hands held up in surrender. "Sorry, we didn't mean to offend you."

"Yeah, we were just going off of what we'd been told by Sasuke or you guys," Suigetsu offered.

That statement brought the ninjas up short. They couldn't really deny that they had said some less-than-flattering things about the former kunoichi of Team 7. They didn't mean anything by it; they still liked her. The shinobi of her generation viewed Sakura as an asset that was best utilized in the medical field, not on the battlefield. Despite this common misconception, Konoha 12 still viewed the pink-haired young woman as an important friend. Naruto sighed, guilt weighing heavily on his mind.

"It's okay. After all, we're mainly to blame for your error. However," he declared, determination blazing in his blue orbs, "I will not allow anyone to speak badly about Sakura, even if they doubt her capabilities."

"Hn," Sasuke replied, "whatever. Let's go get ready to meet the criminals."

The group continued toward their respective homes following the youngest Uchiha's statement. They stopped in their tracks when the coarse language of a particular immortal reached their ears.

"I guess the little fuckers wanted to look pretty for us," the Jashinist laughed uproariously.

Deidara grinned, elation glittering in his pale blue, seemingly grey, eye, "Too bad we got here earlier than expected."

The Leaf ninjas stood stock-still, alarm racing through their systems. As the remaining members of the Akatsuki caught up to the outspoken idiots, brown orbs, peeking through the slits in a porcelain wolf mask, shone with merriment.

**_'This should be good,' Ryoko gleefully stated._**

_How long do you think it will take for a fight to break out? _Sakura questioned mischievously.

**_'I bet the overzealous religious freak attacks within 15 minutes,' responded the she-demon._**

_Naruto will lunge at the bombing specialist in 5 minutes tops_, Sakura calmly retorted.

**_The inner being chuckled, anxious to win the bet. 'If I win, you have to let me out for half an hour. If you win, I'll leave you alone for a full day.'_**

_You're on_, the ANBU stated, confirming the bet's conditions.


End file.
